The latest achievement in Andrey Rublev’s incredible 500-point winning streak is an appearance in the final of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament. With one more victory, Rublev will extend his streak at the 500 level to four consecutive titles and 20 straight match wins.
Standing in his way on Sunday is a much more unlikely finalist, qualifier Marton Fucsovics. Whereas Rublev is competing in a fourth straight 500 final (triumphed last year in Hamburg, Vienna, and St. Petersburg), Fucsovics is playing in an ATP final for the third time in his career (won Geneva in 2018; finished runner-up in Sofia in 2019). The 59th-ranked Hungarian had to qualify just to get into the main draw, after which he ousted Reilly Opelka, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Tommy Paul, and Borna Coric.
Thus continues fine form for Fucsovics, who has won seven matches at the last three Grand Slams (two at the 2020 U.S. Open and 2021 Australian Open, three at the 2020 French Open).
Outside of slams, nobody has been hotter than Rublev over the past 14 months. The eighth-ranked Russian led the tour with five titles in 2020 and he has already helped his country to the ATP Cup trophy this year. Rublev is 12-1 for his 2021 campaign following Rotterdam defeats of Marcos Giron, Andy Murray, Jeremy Chardy, and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Like Fucsovics, the 23-year-old has surrendered only one set.
Sunday marks the fourth career ATP-level meeting between the two players. They have split a pair of clay-court encounters; Fucsovics prevailed 6-2, 6-4, 5-7, 2-6, 6-3 in a 2017 Davis Cup playoff rubber before Rublev won 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-4, 7-6(3) in round four at Roland Garros this past fall.
On a hard court and in the final of a 500 event, this rematch could be even tougher for Fucsovics.
“Rublev is playing unbelievable nowadays, especially in the ATP 500s,” the 29-year-old commented. “He didn’t lose a match for a long time. It is going to be an interesting final. I will try to play my best and enjoy this moment.”
Either way it has been an amazing week for Fucsovics, but Rublev is on fire and he seems to be the only player in Rotterdam who can power his way through these alarmingly slow conditions. From a physical standpoint the underdog can at least stay on the court with Rublev, but the No. 4 seed’s confidence is off the chart right now and his experience in these moments should give him an edge in any pressure situations if Fucsovics manages to keep the match close.
Pick: Rublev in 2
WWW?
Fucsovics will win 2-1
Rublev, like most of his generation, is a one-dimensional player with a game plan – hit the ball hard. If that doesn’t work, plan b is – hit the ball even harder.
that didnt age well did it? you clearly underestimate rublev to the fullest,he will eventually be the number 1 in the world
Yep…hit it hard!….Rublev in 2.
That’s very brave. Fucsovics is on fire from the look of his results.
Damn, predictions aren’t going too well!
Wow, 1.30 for Rublev; Fucsovics must be playing the tennis of his life.
Is anyone else shocked at how slow the conditions are playing? You can hear here gritty the surface is. Basically a clay match. Rublev lands countless body blows and wins in 2.
it’s been incredibly slow all week
Yoo hoo Andy M. Looking down on you at Rotterdam 😉 Unfortunately looking up at you at the other one…… whose name I can’t remember…..
Thiem is our pick in Doha(?) I see. Thiem or Fed seems the group pick. See you there.
Hey hey hey M!…Hehehe…big congrats for winning 2nd place in Rotterdam!👍😀..I think u have big chance to look down on me again in Doha!…I made a couple of stupid picking in there M!…U know which one!..hehe🤭..
C’mon M!…Keep on winning!!
Hey hey hey M!…hehehe…yeah!…congrats for 2nd place in Rotterdam M!…I think there’s a chance u will be looking down on me again in Doha M!…there’s some stupid picking from me in there!….Rola instead of Gasquet?O’Connell instead of Pospisil??Really??hehe…I didn’t have time to alter it after the 1st picking…
Keep on winning M!…Come on!